Abrasive attachments for electric shavers



Dec. 15, 1959 J. P. DOLAN, SR

ABRASIVE ATTACHMENTS FOR ELECTRIC SI'IAV ERS Filed June 27, 1958 m m w.

JOHN P.DOLAH,S\Z.

ATTORNEYS -of various uses of an electric shaver.

ABRASIVE ATTACHMENTS FOR SHAVERS John P; Dolan, Sn, Atlantic Gity,7N.J.

Application June "27, 1958, Serial'No."745,'059 Claims. (Cl.\132.75.8)

This invention relates generally 1:120 attachments for electric shavers. More particularly, the invention has reference to devices that canwbe mountedruponan.electric shaver in place of the usual shaving ormcutting; head, so as to be usable for the purposewotfiling fingernails, removing corns or callouses, etc.

Ordinarily, an electric shaver has -a single use, that is, its regular use in shaving. The mainobject of the present invention .is.to increase measurably the range To this end, there is provided, in accordance-with the present invention, certain attachments, which .can be incorporated .in :a complete set of attachments.

A more particular object isto tprovide ran -attachment for an electric shaver,which willacornprise a :nail .file.

Another object is to provide a second attachment that will comprise a device for. reducing or removing the hard, dry, dead tissue of callouses, c0rns, or thickened areas on the feet and hands.

Another object is to provide attachments asstated which can be swiftly, interchanged with the conventional cutter head of anelectric shaver.

Another object is to form the attachments in such a way that they will not place undue strainupon themotor of the shaver.

A further object is to permit the attachments to -be used on electric shavers, without requiringany modification or redesign of said shavers.

A further object is to provide attachments as-stated which can be manufactured ata very low costj-but which -will nevertheless be rugged and of a'hi'ghdegree'of efficiency.

Another object is-to provide attachments "as described, the abrasive members of which 'can-be removed, so as to permitthe same to-be replaced readily'whenworn.

Other objects will appear from the-following description, the claims appendedthereto,-arid fromthe annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views andwherein:

Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, generally designated at is a wholly conventional electric razor. As will be understood, there can be used any of various makes and sizes of electric razors. In each instance,

nite States Patent "ice fitl'lfl .electric razorxhas a removable cutting head and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided .an .attachment which can be readily substituted for said :zcut'tingahead.

:Theelectric razor 10 may thus bet-equipped with 2 an .-.attachment .12.according to the present invention. The attachment 12 comprises three .components,sas will the readily. seen from Figure'4.

.thatthe complete assembly of the components shown .in Figure i4would weigh no more than the metal cutting. head, not shown, that is ordinarily'a component of the-electric razor 10. Therefore, there will be no more strain upon the motor M of the razorthan that which .is imposed thereon during reciprocation of the conventionalshaving or cutting head' of the razor.

In any event, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, base 14 has intermediate its ends longitudinal,

short, transversely aligned, parallel slots 15 extending through the full thickness of the base. Slots 15 are disposed inwardly from the confronting longitudinal flanges 16- of the base 14, which flanges are undercut over their full lengths as at 18 to receive therespective side edge portions of a support 1 9 for the abrasive element of the device.

Support 1 9.can also'be a single piece of moldedplastic,aluminum,=etc., and includes a flat base plate 20, the side edge portions of which are engaged in the confronting longitudinal grooves definedby the undercut flanges 16. "Intermediate the opposite ends of the plate 20, there -are-:formed therein short, longitudinal slots .22,

extending adjacent the respective longitudinal edges .of

the plate 20.

Integrally formed with the plate 20 and extending longitudinally and centrally thereof is an upstanding -rib or web 24, integral along its top edge with a flat,

rectangular top plate 26 thewidth'of which, in a preferred embodiment, is slightly less than that of the base Thus, the support 19 .is of approximately over its full length.

Integrally formed uponthe ends of andprojectingiupwardlyfrom thetop plate 26 are .small lugs 28 having spherically rounded "heads.

The -third component-0f .the attachment comprises an abrasive means generally designated at 29. In the illustrated example, this comprises .an elongated, .fiat emery board 30, having openings 32 into which the lugs 28 may snap so as to securely but removably iconnect the emery board to the top plate 26 .in faceto face contact therewith.

The electric razor has the usual motionvtranslating meansgthat will convert rotary motion ,ofthe shaft of its 'motor into a high speed reciprocation of the cutter head. In the illustracted example, the motion-translating means includes an oscillating lever .34,xhaving a bifurcation at its upper end definingfork arms36 which extend through the registered slotslS, 22 (see Figure 2),. Slots 15 are substantially larger thanslotsllgsoathat the lever 34 can oscillate aboutits pivot .axis without contacting the edges ofthe slots15. ,At the same time, however, the fork arms engage in slots 22 sufficiently closely to cause high speed reciprocation of thertsupport 19 within guide grooves 33 defined by the undercut flanges 16.

In use of the device, the ordinary cutting head is first removed from the electric razor. Then, the base is positioned in the upper end of the razor, being shaped to fit 3 the particular razor. The base is fixedly mounted in the upper end of the razor, through the provision of a set screw 39 extending through a smooth-walled opening 37 formed in the housing of the shaver, and engaging in a threaded recess 35 formed in one side Wall of the base.

' Accordingly, when the razor is placed in operation, the lever 34 will be oscillated or rocked at high speed. This will be translated into a straight-line reciprocating motion of the support 19, since the upper ends of the fork arms 36 engage comparatively snugly in the opening 22. They are, of course, still suificiently loose within the openings or slots 22 to permit the upper ends of the fork arms to travel in arcuate paths while the support 19 travels in a straight-line path during its reciprocating movement.

The emery board can of course be removed when it becomes excessively worn and a new board can be snapped into place upon the lugs 28. On high speed reciprocation of the emery board, one can apply the same ,to ones fingernails or toe nails, in a manner to swiftly file or manicure the same. Of course, instead of an emery board, the abrasive element 29 could be a metal fingernail file, etc.

Further, buffer means could be employed, to smooth rough edges of the nails and impart a polish thereto after they have beenfiled down.

,In Figures and 6, there is shown a modified form. In this form, the only difference resides in the abrasive means, which has been designated 29a. Support 19 remains unchanged, as does the base 12.

In this form, the abrasive means 29a has a cross sectional shape shown to particular advantage in Figure 6. It will be seen that the abrasive means includes a flat bottom plate 38, and peripherally connected to the edge of the bottom plate is an abrasive element 40. Element 40 is transversely, upwardly bowed, and has tapered ends 42 as clearly seen in Figure 5. In other words, the ends of the abrasive element 40 are rounded off and are reduced progressively in thickness and width in a direction away from the intermediate portion of element 40.

The element 40 is exteriorly surfaced with a suitable abrasive, which can be of any of various types, and as will be noted, the element 40 is of shell-like formation, being of elongated, roughly elliptical or oblong shape. It issecured to the plate 38 by means of any suitable adhesive, and could be of plastic or of pressed paper coated with abrasive.

This form of the invention is used particularly for reducing or removing hard, dry, rlead tissue of callouses, corns, or various other thickened areas on parts of the feet and hands. Full control over such removal is provided, and the removal of the tissue proceeds rapidly, on operation of the electric razor.

The plate 38 of course would have openings similar to the openings 32 to receive the lugs 28.

Various other abrasive means can be provided, of course, those shown being merely exemplary of such devices.

The plate 26, in a preferred embodiment, has a permanent magnet 44 embedded in its top surface. This can be of any desired configuration. It may be circular as shown, or alternatively, it could be square, oblong, etc. It is flush with the surface of plate 26, and has the function of preventing wobbling or tilting of a metal file plate or like object supported thereon.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessar ly confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to wh1ch it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be neceessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An abrasive attachment to be interchanged with the cutter head of an electric razor of the type including a housing, a motor, and an oscillating lever constituting part of a motion-translating driving connection between the motor and cutter head, said attachment comprising: a base adapted to be fixedly secured to the housing; a-support slidably, reciprocably mounted on the base and adapted to be reciprocated by said lever; and abrasive means carried by said support, the support being of approximately I-shaped cross section, and including bottom and top plates and a web connecting said bottom and top plates, the bottom plate being engaged against the base, the top plate being in supporting relation to said abrasive means.

2. An abrasive attachment to be interchanged with the entire cutter head of an electric razor of the type including a housing, a motor, and an oscillating lever having a pair of fork arms and constituting a part of a motion-translating driving connection between the motor and cutter head, comprising: a base adapted to be fixedly secured to the housing and formed with a slide-way and with a pair ofslots communicating with said slideway and located in position to receive the respective fork arms; a support including a base part reciprocably engaged in said slide-Way and formed with openings corresponding .to and shorter in length than the slots .for receiving the fork arms to effect reciprocation of the support, said support including a top part projecting out of the slide-way; abrasive means overlying the top part in contact therewith and formed with a roughened abrading surface; and means on the top part of the support separably engaging the abrasive means with the support for reciprocation conjointly therewith.

3. An abrasive attachment as in claim 2 wherein the base is formed with a flat top surface onto which said slots open and with a pair of longitudinal, undercut guide flanges projecting upwardly from said surface to cooperate therewith in providing the slideway, said base part of the support being in the form of a flat plate lying in face-to-face contact with said top surface and having side edge portions engaging under said flanges, said openings extending through the plate adjacent the respective side edge portions thereof.

4. An abrasive attachment as in claim 3 wherein the top .part of the support includes a top plate lying in a plane parallel to that of the first named plate,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wisterman et a1. Dec. 21, 1943 Barsch Feb. 13, 1951 

